


19 and Counting

by Makenshi_Snake



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU Shingeki no Kyojin, College Student Eren Yeager, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I can't think of anything else right now, M/M, Shameless Smut, Slow Build, Teacher Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), f/f - Freeform, m/m - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 03:45:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2094447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makenshi_Snake/pseuds/Makenshi_Snake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every year, Levi and Erwin play the same game and Levi always wins. No strings attached fun and new students are worth double points. But Eren Yeager is starting his first year and is about to come under their radar, with all the potential to mess up a perfectly good winning streak.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Obvious and Corny

_Levi_

“Are we really going to do this again?”

Erwin set cool eyes on me, trying to read my expression. One of few that might be able to deduce what goes on inside my head, but he failed.

I'd had the same smile on my face all morning.

I threw it his way and nodded at the thrall of bodies milling around beneath us. Fresh, excited young faces gawping at the new world into which they'd stepped, some already carrying a hint of panic in their eyes.

“Look at all that potential,” I said, leading Erwin's gaze back down to the crowd. “Look at it and tell me you don't want in.”

“I never said that.” Erwin shifted his weight, pushing his hands into the pockets of the denim jeans.

He'd opted for very casual that day and gone so far as to leave the top button of his shirt peeking open, hinting at the sculpted musculature beneath. The white shirt set a good contrast against his skin tone, still tanned from a summer of sun. He might be hinting at cold feet, but he'd taken care to dress for the occasion.

I dragged my eyes away from him and set them back down where they belonged. Somewhere in that flow of bewildered faces lay my first mark. I'd been waiting all summer to get back here and to Hell with Erwin's worries.

“You're just scared I'll beat you, grandpa.” I glanced his way to catch the look of irritation flit across his face, smug satisfaction leaking over my own. “You're three years behind.”

“It was very close,” he said, a touch defensive.

“It was close.”

I could concede him that much, last year had been a near thing. If I hadn't landed an exclusive invite to one of the graduate's farewell celebrations, I might very well have ended my winning streak and handed the crown over for a while – but I never gave up easy.

“Fine, we're doing it.” He folded his arms across a broad chest. His shirt snagged around the slopes of each bicep, twisting where the material had been tucked into his jeans.

I'd missed sneaking glances at Erwin for the summer. Imagining him sprawled out on a beach somewhere, surrounded by adoring foreigners while I drowned myself in a decadence of graduates was not nearly as satisfying as seeing him up close again.

“I knew you couldn't resist.”

“I think we should set a new rule in place.”

He turned his gaze on me and I averted mine. Better not let the old man get the wrong impression. He was wonderful to look at, but it'd spoil the game if we lost our patience.

“I'm all ears.”

“I think Freshers' Week shouldn't count.”

I snickered at first, assuming it to be a joke, but his solid stare said otherwise.

“But Freshers are worth double points.” I couldn't keep the complaint from my voice.

“That's what I mean,” he said, nodding as though I'd understood him. “Freshers' has to be off limits this time round.”

I was already forming my argument, but the idea intrigued me. Freshers' Week was prime opportunity to score yourself a good lead. Plenty of randy teens throwing themselves at each other right before things became serious. If none of them would count towards the scores, it could make things difficult. It was a challenge – and Erwin knew damned well I wouldn't back out.

“They're still worth double points,” I said, watching the old git break into his own smile at the minor victory.

_Let him have his moment, I'm still going to win._

We stood in silence for a while, admiring the clear view the office gave of the main thoroughfare below, through which all the new students would come. The Strip was a stretch of buildings separating the southern dormitories from the northern. It housed our cafe, library, campus store and the administration building, where we'd come for the view. Hundreds of fresh new faces taking their first steps into university life.

Points or no points, I was still going to get as much fun out of Freshers' as I always did.

“You look good today, you know.”

I'd almost forgotten I had company, but didn't bother giving Erwin much of a response. If he thought dark jeans and a plain grey tee made me dashing, then so be it, he wasn't going to get anything out of it.

“You know, since this week won't be counting...”

I laughed at how suggestive he sounded and decided it was time to meet that cool gaze again. It had been fixed on me for a while now, admiring what it hadn't seen in too many months.

“What were you thinking?” I asked. “Right here? You reckon Pixis will mind if we mess up his office a bit?”

“Pixis will be tied up with everything happening out there.” Erwin's smile turned downright crafty with the wicked thoughts chasing their way through his head.

_Horny old bastard._

“Aren't you supposed to go down there and be helpful at some point?”

“I'd rather go down someplace else.”

That was enough to get another laugh out of me, I couldn't take him seriously when he went for obvious _and_ corny – but the laughter must have sounded too much like consent. He'd moved closer, I'd been too wrapped up in thoughts to notice him sidle up beside me. A strong arm wound its way around my waist, hooked a thumb in the belt-loop at my hip, sent an electric thrill chasing up my spine.

_Stupid, treacherous body._

“I can be helpful later.” His voice came out low and rumbling.

The rest of his fingers, not caught in my belt-loop, raked along my thigh and the wall of resistance inside of me began to crumble.

_Fucking Erwin._

Which was kind of the problem.

\------------------------------

 

 

Hey, thanks for reading! Future chapters will be longer, this is just a little stepping stone into the story.

  



	2. Make It Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Eren and Mikasa to the story, along with a few others who will have roles of varied size (Petra, Jean, Sasha, Connie, etc.)

_Eren_

“ _Oh God_.”

With a herculean effort, I made it the last few steps and dumped everything in my arms on the floor. Out of breath and panting like I'd just run a marathon, I slumped onto the single bed and sighed at how amazing it felt for my spine to relax.

“That doesn't qualify as unpacking, you know.”

I waggled my middle finger towards the doorway without giving Mikasa so much as a glance. I could unpack later, a lot later. I'd just carried about ten tonnes worth of belongings up five flights of stairs. I'd been ecstatic to learn I'd snagged one of the larger rooms in my complex – top floor and an excellent view – an excitement that wilted when I learned there were no elevators.

I closed my eyes and listened to the noises from outside my door. I had seven flatmates sharing my corridor, but that included my sister. I'd made plenty of complaints about her making sure we ended up in the same building. I'd thrown something akin to a minor tantrum when she told me we'd be living on the same floor _and_ corridor. She'd sugarcoated the news by adding that she'd managed to get us both double sized rooms, but refused to explain her wizardry.

My door swung open again.

“They're not too bad,” she said, wandering into my room.

I opened one eye and watched her cross the space to my window and stare out at the spread of identical dormitory buildings housed between patches of grass and dusty pathways carved out like snakes in the lawn.

“I already forgave you.”

“I know.” She nodded and leaned on the windowsill. “I'm in the room opposite. You should go reserve yourself some space in the fridge.”

“I plan on doing absolutely no cooking whatsoever.”

She frowned out at the world, but the expression was all for me.

“There's a cafeteria on The Strip,” I reminded her. “One of the guides told me. What was her name again? I forget. Short, pretty.”

“How observant of you.”

I grinned at her and knew she caught it on her peripheral from the sour pucker at her own mouth. Little things make me happy.

I yawned and closed my eyes, fully prepared to shut down for a while, but a thought snagged in my mind.

“Hey, when's the fayre thing again? Tomorrow?”

“Yes, starts at ten. You want to go?”

I opened a single eye for her again. She'd twisted to face me, very seriously waiting for an answer.

I shrugged and crossed my arms behind my head, shutting down again.

“Sure, why not? I can check out the swim team. You gonna try out their fencing club?”

Mikasa is too good at fencing not to give them a try. Probably wipe the floor with their unhappy faces, but that's my sister for you. Might even give me a few evenings a week free from her watchful eyes.

“I'll see. Are you going to get up and unpack?”

I was already snoring.

-

Sometime in the late afternoon, Mikasa dragged me out of bed by my hair and we made it outside. Our collection of dormitories was labelled Sina, but there were several others around us and another set on the opposite side of campus. Rose sat across a stretch of grass with a thin strip of a river winding between our buildings.

Somebody had set up a campfire and hundreds of nervous Freshers were collected around it, shepherded by the guides in their dark green tees. No sooner had Mikasa and I entered the throng, than someone had shoved a hotdog into one of my hands and a plastic cup into the other.

“What is this?” Mikasa asked, staring at her drink like it might be an explosive.

I gave it a tentative sniff.

“Beer. Very cheap beer.”

I drank it anyway, fixing an amiable grin onto my face and gazing around. I spotted a familiar, copper head weaving through the crowd and gave her a wave. She saw me and changed her route, her smile beaming and infectious.

“All settled in?” she asked, reaching us.

“Yeah, almost.” No reason for her know my room already resembled the bombsite conditions of my former bedroom back home.

“It's Eren, right?”

“It is.” Her name might have escaped me earlier, but she'd thought ahead and fixed a label to her shirt. “Hey, Petra, this is my sister, Mikasa.”

“Oh, yes, I remember.” Petra gave Mikasa the warmest smile in the world and my sister reacted with something like a grimace. Unperturbed, the guide darted her eyes back to me. “So, Eren, what are you studying?”

It was my turn to make a face.

“Computing.”

“Oh.” Her smile grew at least an inch wider. “That... you sound... very excited.”

“It wasn't really what I had in mind,” I admitted. “But Mikasa reckons it's a good fallback degree to have behind me.”

“Fallback? Are you studying something else?” Her wide doey eyes were captivating in the best kind of way.

“Not studying, swimming.”

Realisation crossed into her expression and she nodded.

“I should have pegged you for a swimmer.” She gave a breezy laugh and made a waving gesture at me. “You've got a swimmer's build.” The hint of a blush crept over her cheeks and she laughed it off. “I would know, my boyfriend is on the team.”

My rising hopes smashed back down into the pit of my stomach and it was all I could do to try and keep the disappointment off my face.

“Really?” My smile felt painful. “Well, that's great. You should – I mean, you could – put in a good word for me.”

“I'm sure you won't need any help from me.”

Ah, sweet encouragement for the dejected.

“I should keep mingling,” Petra said, flashing me another warm smile that didn't quite patch up the hurt. “I'll see you later.”

Mikasa was kind enough to stall her sniggering until Petra was out of earshot. I punched my sister in the arm and she rammed her knuckles into my ribcage.

“Hey, hey, no need to be so violent!” someone said from right behind us, moments before they pulled my sister and I into a hug, sloshing beer onto my shirt.

“Oi!” I started pushing the body away, but Mikasa was already doing her thing.

I blinked and our assailant was horizontal, crashing onto the grass seconds before his beer can, the remaining contents of which splattered over his shirt.

He lay still and stared up at Mikasa with wide eyes. Had to be another first year, a Fresher like us. He had a slash of blonde hair over dark roots and the expression of a smacked toddler.

“Jean, that's not how you make friends.”

A brunette stepped over Jean, grinning down at where he remained sprawled and Jean sneered back.

“Sasha, I have been assaulted.”

“You touched my sister,” I pointed out, as the brunette offered Jean a hand and pulled him back onto his feet. He met my eyes with a hostile expression. “Mikasa doesn't really like being touched.”

He turned his eyes on Mikasa and the look of outrage transformed into surprise, confusion, _interest_.

“Mikasa, is it?” Jean took a daring step closer and hitched a smirk onto his face. He reeked of beer, but that didn't seem much of a deterrent. “That's a good arm you get there.”

“Don't mind him,” the brunette said, distracting me. She grabbed my hand and shook it with enough enthusiasm to make me wonder if she might be trying to dislocate it. “I'm Sasha, Sina Complex, Hall Three, Floor Five, Corridor A, Room Four.”

It took me a moment to decipher what she was going on about.

“Oh, right. I'm Eren.” I really wished she'd stop shaking my arm. “I think you might be in the corridor across from me.”

“Floor Five, Corridor B?”

I nodded. “Sounds right. Mikasa's opposite me.”

“We're practically flatmates!”

“I guess so.”

She released my arm and I fought the urge to nurse it at my side. I didn't want to offend Sasha, she seemed nice. She _did_ scoop up another round of drinks for us all, which might have been good timing on Jean's behalf. Mikasa had maintained her blank, stone wall impression the whole time he'd chatted with her, but it didn't look like Jean was losing much steam and I knew my sister's patience had a limit. Maybe she could drown said limit in booze.

“I _need_ food,” Sasha announced.

She grabbed my arm – my only good arm, God help me – and started dragging me away. I glanced over my shoulder to see if Mikasa had noticed, thankful that she was already following. Jean matched pace with her every stride and continued yammering.

Within the next half an hour, the sun had almost set and I was surrounded by new faces, but the atmosphere was too cheery for me to feel uncomfortable. Sasha introduced us to some of our other flatmates; Connie, Annie, Thomas, Marco. I was certain I'd forget half their names by tomorrow, but that was a problem for Future Eren.

I had mixed feelings about the idea that Jean was on my course – _our_ course, since Mikasa would be studying right alongside me. As always.

I swigged at the beer. Maybe Jean was OK. He shouldn't have crept up on Mikasa like that, but he'd been trying to make up for it by fawning over her the rest of the evening.

“Hey.” Sasha waved a hand in front of my face to get my attention. She was leaning against Connie for support, but the guy didn't seem to mind one bit. “So, is Mikasa really your sister? You two look nothing alike.”

“We're not, like, biological siblings.”

The old familiar pang of guilt gave me a good kick in the stomach. I'd never liked discussing Mikasa's relation to my family – probably because I flat out don't like discussing my family.

When I didn't offer any further explanation, Sasha dropped the questions and the group went back to idly sharing information on where everyone hailed from and what they'd be studying.

I'd felt nervous on the way up. Mikasa had booked us a taxi to take everything we owned from our crappy little flat on the outskirts of London, all the way here. It didn't feel like home yet. Maybe it never would.

Connie cracked a joke and I tried to laugh along. I could let the group take me in. I _should_. I was terrible at making friends, even without my sister shadowing everything I did. It was a blessing Sasha and the others were willing to accept me without much effort on my part.

I could do this university thing. I could make it work.

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